i: hate is a very strong word and you aren't afraid to use it
s: Work sucks.
a/n: And here you see my tragic downfall, falling into this pairing and being unable to get up. This fic is already completely written, so you can expect updates pretty frequently, albeit short chapters. The chapters alternate from the present day (when the boys are 21, and in college) to the past (starting in 8th grade, and working gradually forward). Chapters are from Jean's POV (second person). Without further ado, enjoy!

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Every day, you praise the asshole that coined the phrase, 'hate is a very strong word'.

You hate Eren Jaeger – hate him with every bone in your body.

He's so stupid – a real nosy bastard with a penchant for airing everyone's dirty laundry, but men and women alike fawn over that asshole's eyes. Sure, they're the color of the ocean on some distant island somewhere, but come on. You hate the costumers that come in here and giggle about how sharp the angle of his chin is—yours is infinitely more defined, and handsome, and they are completely ignorant. After they ogle his face for a bit, most of those perverts move to his arms, which you guess are a little toned – you only know this because you've had the misfortune of being on the wrong end of his fist more than a few times, and his punches pack more force than people would expect.

You're not an idiot. You're not winning any Mr. Universe contests in terms of looks, but all of Jaeger's outward appearance is a big scam. He's eternally pissy, this petty jerk with a strong sense of justice and a filthy mouth. You take a moment to warn him, telling him to stop glaring at people from his place at the register, and he snarls at you. The two of you have always had this kind of interaction, and you wish that you could give him a black eye or two without fear of losing your job.

Your manager this shift is the friendly but stern Petra – personally, she's your favorite one. When she sees the two of you mouthing off with balled fists, she reprimands you, and you wilt, letting out a sigh. Jaeger, as always, is an absolute expert at getting under your skin. He stands there, looking all pretty, with his sort of tone arms folded over his chest, murmuring shitty things about you under his breath, and you use every ounce of willpower you possess not to break his nose.

How have you had the misfortune of being in such close connection to the guy you hate the most? The two of you couldn't just be classmates at your run-of-the-mill public school system – nooo. Shit-for-brains brunette had been in more than half of your classes, you two were in the same sport, and you've worked at the same place for at least four years. Worse still, now you two have the same major, attend the same college, and you are so sick of hearing his clipped tones. Brawling had been a base instinct, since you constantly butted heads, but you two had a strictly 'no blows to the face' rule now.

Remembering the last fight you'd had with Eren, you snicker to yourself, and Eren turns his sharp gaze in your direction before snorting dismissively. It's a constant reminder that you'd don't just hate this kid for no reason – he's so shitty, you don't even know how he has any friends. A customer comes in with a simple order, and you concentrate of making the best cup of coffee you can, but you mess up, and you can already feel your blood boiling, practically hearing your co-worker's sneer.

"When you're thinking, you always do shitty work. Also, you spilled some, moron." Eren derides you without blinking an eyelash, and after he swoops in, quickly correcting your mistake, he smirks a bit. "You know, Mr. Levi will be here soon. Ms. Petra can only protect your sorry ass for so long."

You take a black rag from your waist and wipe the bar, cursing quietly. Your fist balls in the cloth, and you hate how pleasant the brunette sounds as he hands the coffee to some businessman in a pristine, ceramic mug.

You hate a lot of things about Eren Jaeger. He's volatile, and a shitty human being, but deep down (and you loathe admitting such a thing to yourself), you hate Eren the most because he's right.

Eren's usually right, and you hate that more.